Mexican Media Brands
Aluminum Diet on Tap for Next Mercedes C-Class?
Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit is working with suppliers to reduce the weight of future models by developing advanced component joining technologies to optimize material usage, including aluminum.
#aluminum
Share
Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit is working with suppliers to reduce the weight of future models by developing advanced component joining technologies to optimize material usage, including aluminum.
The next-generation C-Class, which is expected to launch early next decade, will employ a variety of bonding, laser-welding and riveting processes, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International CEO Jason Hoff tells attendees at this week’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich. One of the technologies being explored, he says, is welding steel to aluminum.
Variances in melting temperatures and other differences make it challenging to combine steel and aluminum. But there have been few recent cross-material welding applications, Automotive News points out. Among them are the subframe component on the Honda Accord and a steel seat frame bracket on General Motors’ new aluminum-intensive Cadillac CT6 flagship sedan.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Range Rover Sport SVR Sets Low(ish) Speed Record
This is an interesting record: a Range Rover Sport SVR, which can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 174 mph, was recently driven by Ho-Pin Tung, a Chinese-Dutch driver for the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team, on a road in the Hunan Province in China, and set a new record of an average speed of 42.8 mph.
-
Creating a Low-Cost Chassis Architecture
The engineers at Zenos Cars have combined recycled carbon fiber, drinking straws and aluminum to create a chassis for a low-volume sports car.
-
Jaguar Land Rover & the Globalization of Auto
If you want a sense of the nature of the global nature of this business, consider last week’s announcement from Jaguar Land Rover.